Becoming Olga
by JJOAS
Summary: Life is a precarious wheel. Where one person ends, another begins. For Rebecca, her end is just the beginning of Olga's life. Will she take care of Helga like she deserves? We'll find out in Becoming Olga. This is an Alternate Universe. HxA, Ox?, and etc.
1. Chapter 1

**Becoming Olga**

 **Summary:** Life is a precarious wheel. Where one person ends, another begins. For Rebecca, her end is just the beginning of Olga's life.

 **AN** : The universe and characters of Hey Arnold belong to the wonderful and talented Craig Bartlett. I do not own them. All I own is this story premise and the changes that I make within my story.

This is an Alternate Universe. HxA, Ox?, and etc.

 _Chapter One_

The warm morning light streamed into my classroom, and my little kindergardeners quietly read in their respective corners. I let out a relieved sigh, it had been a rather rough morning. This new term was running me ragged, but seeing their cute happy faces was well worth it. For the most part anyways. They were all behaving right now, which meant I could take a little break.

I sat down and stared at the large cupcake on my desk. One of my new colleagues had remembered that it was my 30th birthday today, and had gotten me one of those big birthday cupcakes with a lone candle on it from the Rolling Scones Bakery. While the kids were doing their quiet reading time, I snuck out and Skype called my family. They were all in Mexico while I was up here teaching in Canada. I could aptly feel the distance whenever a birthday or holiday passed by, so I always called them.

I grinned and saw their happy faces as the call went through. They all started singing happy birthday to me, as the connection stabilized. I memorized my mom's warm smile and dad's rough laugh. My four younger brothers sang off key, and my baby sister belted out her version of happy birthday. I happily hummed along, and blew out my candle. After that, they all talked in fast paced Spanish over one another, and I delighted in hearing their voices. I shook my head and chuckled when my mom asked when I would get married. I shrugged and bit into my cupcake. I still had time. Besides, 30 was the new 20, wasn't it? I swallowed the large chunk that I bit into. I suddenly felt off. The world started blurring and I let out an alarmed squeak. Was there _peanuts_ in this?

My lungs burned as my throat started closing. I could hear my family's panicked cries as I fell onto my knees. My phone clattered out of my hands, and my birthday cupcake spattered onto the floor. I didn't have my epipen with me. I had foolishly left it in my purse. I looked around wildly as the world started blurring away. I had gone into a seldom used corner away from my classroom to get some privacy, but it seemed like that had spelt my doom. Darkness closed around me as my lungs burned, and my skin swelled. This was a sucky way to die. God damn it.

opopopopopopopo

When I woke up, I choked out water and saw a bright sun and a clear cloudless sky. I turned and felt myself slick with water dripping off of me. When I turned onto my side, I felt the hot cement and looked around. Why were all these strangers around me? Why was I wet? How did I get here? Wasn't- wasn't I dead? Why was I at a _pool_? What the fuck is going on?

I looked down and found that I was in a swim suit. I was much paler and smaller than I had been before. I swallowed down a scream. This was just as well since a couple of paramedics soon took me away on a stretcher. A couple followed after me. The woman with golden blonde hair, pale skin, and a haggard look shot me worried looks. I caught a glance of her frame and saw that she was obviously pregnant. The guy that was holding her shoulders as they walked towards me, had dark brown hair with streaks of gray and looked big. Why were they following me? I didn't know them. The words that the paramedics were saying washed over me. I didn't quite understand anything that was going on. They kept calling me Olga Pataki. The couple that had been following me were apparently my parents. All this was wrong though. I wasn't Olga Pataki. I was Rebecca Robertson. My parents weren't these worn out looking people. My parents were vibrant and proud Mexicans. Janice and Micheal Robertson. What the hell was going on?

They brought me to a small looking hospital and I found that the sights that I saw outside of the back of the ambulance's windows were off. None of this looked like Canada. There weren't as many trees and the buildings all looked _different_. Where was I?

The small hospital had a big sign that said that it was called Drymon Hillwood Clinical Hospital. They couldn't possibly mean Hillwood, Washington, could they? How the hell did I get here? Wasn't I in Vancouver, the last time I checked?

The doctor that was assigned to me told me that I had been in a swimming competition when I had accidentally bashed my head on the side of the pool while I had been turning. He said that I had been lucky that I hadn't drowned to death since no one had noticed right away. Mrs. Pataki burst into tears at that deceleration. Mr. Pataki glared holes at the doctor while he ushered his wife out of the room. I doubt that stress would be good for her pregnancy.

I quietly sat upright in my hospital bed and stared at my now white hands. They were so small. Was I child. My body certainly looked like it when I was changing into a hospital gown in the bathroom. I looked nothing like myself. I was pale, slim, and blonde. My blue eyes were the same, but I wasn't tan, buxom, and I didn't have my dark black hair any more. Was I reincarnated? Because I sure as hell wasn't in my original body. Was I in a crazy dream?

The doctor cleared his throat, "Miss. Pataki?"

I looked up and shot him a sheepish look, "I'm sorry. What was that?"

He sighed, "Since you're just a 10 year old child, you can't decided if you want to stay here. I'd have to ask your parents, but it's my recommendation that you do stay here for a little bit. Your hippocampus is swollen which might mean that you may have slight memory loss from that collision into the wall. Do you understand?"

I slowly absorbed the fact that this man just called me a 10 year old child. Fuck. That was messed up. It did explain why I had mosquito bites for boobs though. I nodded, "Can you test me to see if...if I'm okay? You know, in the head?" Was this all a delusion?

He smiled, "Sure, sweetie. Do you know what the date is?"

I looked around and then back at the doctor when I noticed there wasn't a single digital clock or calendar in the vicinity. In fact, everything look oddly old. Most hospitals were technologically updated, but that old TV in the corner looked like it belonged in the 80s. I shrugged, "I dunno."

He frowned and noted that down in my hospital file, "It's March 24th 1985. Do you know your name?"

My heart thudded away and I swear I felt like it would burst out of my chest. I went back in time. Is that how reincarnations worked? If I were to go to Mexico in a year, would I see my original body as a newborn baby? I felt muddled and just a little hysterical. I bit my tongue. I wanted to say Rebecca Robertson, but now I wasn't too sure. I let out a breath and meekly stated, "Olga Pataki?"

He grinned and nodded, "That's right. Can you say Peter picked a picked pepper for me?"

I quirked my brow and frowned, but repeated the phrase back at him, "Peter picked a picked pepper."

He looked relieved and jotted it down. His strange line of questioning continued on and he tested my range of motion after a little while. After all these questions and tests he deemed that I would be alright for now.

He smiled at me as I tucked myself into my hospital blankets, "I'm going to bring your parents back after I have a little talk with them, okay? If you need anything, just press that red button beside you. That'll call up a nurse to help you."

I silently nodded. When I had first spoken I had been surprised, but all this was slowly sinking in. I must've died, because you surely can't feel pain in a delusion, can you? Otherwise, this was all some terrible dream. I would have to call my actual parents to see if they were alive in this world, if this wasn't all some sort of nightmare. I wondered if I was in a parallel dimension. If time travel and reincarnation was real, then at this point I believed anything was possible. Was there magic in this world? So many questions swirled around my head.

I sighed and picked up a nearby book. My 'mother' had left it for me. I idly wondered if Olga liked to read as much as I did. I speedily read through the first chapter. I recalled every single word. Huh. Did this chick have an eidetic memory? I would have to test that later on. I tucked that thought away.

I heard the door open to my room and found myself looking on at Olga's parents...my parents now I supposed. Would they be as kind as my original parents? I would know soon enough.

Mr. Pataki sat silently on one of the chairs across from my bed. Mrs. Pataki took a seat beside my bed and held my hand. She shot me a watery smile, "Do you remember me, honey?" I wanted to tell her the truth, but I glanced down at her belly and worry washed over me. What if I did say that I didn't and she miscarried because of the stress. That could happen right? Or was that just in soap operas? I bit my inner cheek. To tell the truth or not to? This woman looked strangely familiar though, reincarnation aside. Her blue eyes, glasses and hair, rang through my head and I couldn't pinpoint where, but I did know this woman.

I shot her a wary smile and decided to go for it, "Of course I do, mommy." Kids still called their parents mommy and daddy, right? My baby sister from my original life did that and she was 10.

Mr. Pataki let out a loud sigh of relief, "See. I told you Miriam. That doctor is a quack. Our girl doesn't need any time in this _place_. She's fit as a fiddle. She can get back into the swing of winning more awards and trophies."

I inwardly made a face. I wouldn't be participating in any competitions of those sorts thank you. I wasn't all that competitive, and I personally didn't see why I had to be. I voiced my displeasure promptly, "I don't want to compete any more, daddy."

I felt Miriam pull me into a hug. Her shoulders were no longer tense as she firmly added, "Bob, it'd be safer if she didn't. We almost lost her today." She smelt of sherry. Didn't she know that drinking was bad while you were pregnant? I frowned inwardly.

Bob looked at me and sighed. His expression did soften as he got up and walked over to us. He sat down onto the bed and frowned, "Fine. No more out of school competitions. Wouldn't want our princess to mess around with those plebeians, anyways." He sounded serious when he said plebeians.

I tucked those comments away. It seemed that Bob was really competitive and kind of mean. I would have to figure out how to navigate this life, but for now I would just enjoy the hug Miriam was giving me. I felt, what I assumed would be, my little sibling kick against me. I glanced down at Miriam's bulging belly. I would protect that kid since these people didn't seem like the right sort of parents. Well, I would try to at least...as long as I wasn't stuck in a coma dreaming all of this somewhere and this all turned out to be real that is. I was still on the fence about that.

I settled into my bed while my 'parents' left to go convince a doctor to discharge me. I stared at my hands and wiggled my fingers. They were piano fingers, slim, long and hairless. Mine had originally been small, not as slim, and kind of hairy. I hummed and flinched when I heard my own voice. I pulled at my chin length blonde hair and grimaced. This was all too surreal. I missed my long black hair. I closed my eyes and pushed down the tears that threatened to pour out of me.

I heard the door creak open and glanced at the source of the noise. A disgruntled looking doctor shuffled in with Bob pushing behind him. Miriam waddled behind all of them, and I couldn't help, but shoot her a soft smile. A smile that she warmly returned.

Bob grunted and stared down at the doctor, "Well, doc. My little girl is perfect, as usual. Let her out of this joint."

The doctor shot Bob a dirty look, "I personally think your daughter needs more time to recuperate..."

Bob interrupted the doctor, "Well then, she can just take a load off at home. Wouldn't being in a familiar place be better any ways, doc?" Bob smirked at the doctor and I didn't think that they'd get along at all. I idly wondered what the doctor's name was. I think it might've been Dr. Stieglitz, but I didn't get a good enough look at his name tag when he was talking to me.

The doctor let out an indignant huff and scribbled on some papers, mumbling under his breath all the while. Miriam sighed quietly and waddled over to my bedside. She sat her seat down and made my bed creak just a little. I felt her hands smooth down my hair rhythmically.

Bob smirked while the doctor shoved some sheets of papers, probably discharge papers, into his awaiting hands. He shot me an apologetic look before he hurried out of the room. Yeah, I could see that Bob was a bit of a bully so far. I hoped that facet of his personality didn't leak into how he treated his family though.

Bob shot me a blithe look and gathered up the small bag of things that lay on a nearby chair, "You're free now, princess. Out of this joint. Come on Miriam. Get our little lady dressed so we can blow this pop stand. I'm going to get the car and wait in front of this hospital." With that, Bob ambled over, gave me a kiss on the head, and caressed Miriam's face before heading out of my room. I hadn't expected that and I pondered on whether I had misjudged him.

Miriam sighed and stared at the door after Bob had gently closed it. She turned back to me and pulled on a tired smile, "Alright, my love. Your dad's in a good mood so you should get dressed quickly, okay?" She kissed my cheek and gave me a tight squeeze. I felt her murmur against my hair, "I brought your favorite green pinafore dress and that shirt that you like." When she pulled away, I could see that her smile was strained. Was she in a happy marriage? Or was she just sticking around for us?

She pulled out the aforementioned pieces of clothing and I pulled on a weak grin, "Thanks, mummy." I took the clothing as she nodded and proceeded to waddle away. When I heard the door close behind her, I was desperate to scream, but I pulled that urge down. It wasn't time to have a break down. Not here.

I pulled on the shirt and the dress that she gave me. It was a deep emerald green, one of my favorite colors, so that gave me a modicum of comfort amongst all this damn confusion. I slipped on flats that I had found under my bed and I stood up. I took in a deep breath and calmed my thudding heart. You're okay Rebecca. If this is all just some dream, you'll wake up and see _your_ family again. Everything's okay.

I shook my arms out and caught my reflection against the window in my hospital room. I flinched. I bit my lower lip and whipped away from the window. I- I just couldn't look. I marched out of the room as quickly and quietly as I could. I found Miriam waiting outside of my room in a faded plush chair. When I looked up around the hallway, I internally shivered. It reminded me of those old hospital hallways in those video games. This just made me want to leave this place even faster, dream or no dream.


	2. Chapter 2

**Becoming Olga**

 **Summary:** Life is a precarious wheel. Where one person ends, another begins. For Rebecca, her end is just the beginning of Olga's life.

 **AN** : The universe and characters of Hey Arnold belong to the wonderful and talented Craig Bartlett. I do not own them. All I own is this story premise and the changes that I make within my story.

 **guest** : Thank you for your kind review. I hope you like this chapter.

 _Chapter Two_

When we got 'home', or rather, where the Pataki's lived. I swear I recognized their building. In fact, this whole town looked sort of familiar. It was a purple bricked building with brown windows and a dark green door. It was a tall slim building squeezed in between two shorter brown bricked buildings. There wasn't any sort of greenery on the steps and it, honestly, looked a little old. When Bob parked in front of this house and told us that we had to get out, I was hesitant. I had hoped, during the car ride, I would wake up, however, that wasn't the case. I gingerly got out of the car and followed after Miriam's waddling body. I looked around and I couldn't pull away the pinpricks of familiarity. Where had I seen all of this? I couldn't have visited here before, could I? Did I see this place in some sort of show?

When I entered through the doorway, my heart dropped. I remembered. Wasn't this...a cartoon? I whipped my head around and took in the hallway. The purple stripped wallpaper, the blue walls, the wood floors...it was all like the ones that I recalled from the show Hey Arnold. I shook my head. This was impossible. This had to be some sort of sick dream my mind had created up during the anaphylactic shock. That must be it. That was the only possible reason why I landed in one of my least favorite characters in what could only be nicely called as a dysfunctional family.

I wandered through the house. Bob and Miriam were upstairs; their yelling argument gave away their location. I sighed as I continued snooping around. The kitchen had the same purple flower stripped wallpaper from the show, with the green paint on the other walls. The laminate floor was a faded yellow. It smelt like stale trash and vodka in here. I wrinkled my nose. If this wasn't a dream, I would definitely have to make some changes.

The fridge was rather big, but that might've been because I was so much smaller than I was before. The stove was smaller than I was used to, but it would do. I was happy to see that there was a microwave here. There was a large kitchen table with four wooden chairs near the stove. I spotted a dishwasher and let out a relieved sigh. Washing dishes were my least favorite chore, and I was glad I didn't have to do it in this weird place either. The cupboards weren't particularly high, nor was the ceiling, but I figured I would still have to use the little wooden stool that was sequestered in the kitchen corner.

I walked out of the kitchen and wandered back into the hallway. While I walked through the hallway, I noted that they had those old school rotary phones. I rolled my eyes and sighed. That meant that there weren't any smart phones. Miriam and Bob were still yelling at one another. I think it was about the problems about having another daughter. I sneered at them and let out a disgusted huff. They should've had that conversation when it wasn't about to pop. That would be murder now. I heard Miriam cry and my face crumpled into a frown. I was tempted to go up and try to help her...but then I recalled all those infomercials about abused women. I hoped that she wasn't being physically abused...I hoped that she wasn't being abused at all. I could be totally wrong. Pregnant women could cry on a drop of a hat, right? I shook off the dread I felt and continued in my exploration.

The living room was a light green, with beige carpets, and plush green couches. The wall was covered with Olga's achievements and shelves full of trophies lined one wall beside the rather large TV. I let out a deep sigh. I wouldn't be participating in any of these competitions. Maybe the original Olga liked these things, but I certainly did _not_. I found a piano shoved in a corner near a bay window and smiled to myself. I had always wanted to learn how to play, but with five siblings, there was never any money to go to classes. I idly wondered if this body knew how to play because I certainly didn't.

I quietly made my way to what I assumed was the dining room. It was a green with flowered wallpaper. There was a large round table in the middle of the room with four chairs. The walls had purple china cabinets with delicate expensive looking pieces. The only pictures on the walls, that I spotted, were of Olga winning competitions. Did they not own any art? I shrugged. I don't suppose it mattered in any case.

The yelling and crying had stopped. I listened and heard Bob's thunderous steps trampling down the stairs before a door slammed shut. I poked my head out of the dining room and heard Miriam's sniffles from upstairs. Bob must've gone to work, or out to do something. From what I had spotted on the clock in the kitchen, it was only two in the afternoon.

I creeped up the stairs and wandered into the nearest door to the stairs. It turned out to be a full bathroom. It smelt of urine and dirty sinks. I recoiled inwardly and vowed to clean it after I had found some gloves and bleach. I looked into the toilet and almost gagged. A lot of bleach.

I hurried out of the disgusting bathroom and walked into the nearest room nearby. It looked like a guest bedroom. This would probably become Helga's room. It didn't look like a nursery though. There was a twin bed, a dresser and a desk here, but no baby furniture. A deep frown pulled on my mouth. A frown furrowed my brow. I would have to find out how to fix that up too. Surely there had to be some sort of storage place that had Olga's old stuff. I poked my head into what I assumed was a closet. There was a pull light in the closet and it was rather spacious for a closet.

I walked back into the hallway and found that Miriam had fallen asleep, if her snore were any indication. I hoped that she wasn't drinking again. Did she not know how babies could get fetal alcohol syndrome? I shook my head and spotted stairs that led to the third floor. That probably meant that Bob and Miriam slept on the top floor. I went to the door beside the guest bedroom. There didn't seem to be any other room on this floor so it had to be Olga's room.

I tilted my head and stared at blue walls with the pink and orange flowers. I think they were flowers. The ceiling light was round and gave the entire room a bleached sort of look. I don't think they had fluorescent lights yet. I walked towards the double bed on a wooden platform. It was squeezed right up against the wall under the window with flimsy pink curtains. There was a weird looking lamp, I think it was a wall lamp, on one corner of the bed. Beside the bed was a wooden side table, it had an old school radio with a clock on top of it. There was a desk pushed up against one wall near a dresser. The closet was as big as the one in the guest room. It was full of pink, green, white, and black clothes. I made a face. It wasn't as colorful as I had hoped. A frown puckered my face when I realized that there weren't any toys. I mean, there was one single stuffed animal on the bed, but that was it. Did they think she was too old for toys. I snooped around Olga's room further.

It didn't seem like a kid's room, but I wasn't much of a kid really. What thirty year old woman stuck in a child's body would be a kid? I shook that strange thought away. There was a bookcase shoved with various novels and picture books. I was glad that it seemed like Olga was at least childish in that sense. I didn't bother looking through her other things. I wanted to get the full lay of the house while Miriam was sleeping and Bob was away.

I creeped up the stairs and I spotted a door that was directly down the hallway facing the stairs. It was ajar, and I could spot Miriam's engorged belly from that room so I assumed that was where Bob and Miriam slept. I disregarded looking into that room and instead went for the only other door that I saw in this level. When I opened it up I found that the only thing there was a dark set of stairs that led upstairs. It was probably the attic. I flicked up the light switch and looked up the stair well. It was dimly lit despite the lights being turned on. When I walked up the steps they creaked and my spine tingled. I wished I had some sort of flashlight or at least a bat.

Once I reached the top I found that there were a ton of dusty boxes. There was an old stroller shoved up against a stack of boxes. I blew away the dust and sneezed for a moment. The light from the one window streamed through the attic, lighting up the dust motes. I pulled a face and stared down at the boxes that had made me sneeze. In black marker the box clearly said it was all of Olga's baby things. I hummed. It was neat that they didn't throw any of Olga's things out. I looked around and decided that the dust wasn't very good for me. I would have to come back up and clean this place before I could rummage through their things.

I hurried out of the attic, flicked off the light and gently shut the door behind me. I let out a relieved breath when I heard Miriam's continued snoring. I quietly hurried down to 'my' room. I slumped down onto the bed. Olga's room smelt like pea blossoms and baby powered. It was odd and it reminded me of my little sister Francesca. I let myself fall onto my back and I let my eyes droop. If this wasn't a dream...I'd be a kid again. A kid in a bad sort of household. I would have to figure out how to skip as many grades as possible. I didn't want to go back through the school system. The first time was hard enough. Kids could be real beasts and I didn't want to prove that again.

My eyes closed and I drifted off. My bones felt heavy and my breaths slowed. I hadn't realized how tired I was. If this was a dream, then...I would wake up. If this wasn't...I guess I would just have to adapt. I shrugged and let sleep drag me away.

opopopopopopopo

I jolted awake, my eyes flew open, as I heard Miriam's screams. Bob was yelling and I blinked open my eyes rapidly. I rubbed away the sleep that clung to my lashes. I shook my head and hurried out of my room, sleep still fogged my mind. So this wasn't a dream.

Miriam was waddling down the stairs with Bob supporting her when I spotted them. She was heaving in and out rapidly and Bob looked pensive, maybe a little disgruntled even. It dawned on me that she was probably going to have the baby now. I followed behind them and picked up a set of spare keys from the hallway. They hurriedly exited their home and I locked the door behind them.

We got into the Lincon and drove towards the same hospital that saw me in the morning. The sky was dark and peppered with stars when I looked out the car window. Bob had rolled down the windows at some point and I smelt the dry cold air that swirled through the car. Miriam keened now and again during the journey. I shot worried glances at her. I hadn't ever had to be apart of the birth of any of my siblings, but I wasn't about to complain now.

It didn't take long to finally reach the hospital. We scrambled out of the car and one of the attendants got Miriam a wheelchair. Helga's birth took eight hours, by that time the sun had already come up. Bob and I were herded into Miriam's room. I heard Helga's first cries and I melted. I loved babies. Bob moved his weight from one foot to the other as he kept glancing back at his watch. I guess he had somewhere more pressing than here. Note the sarcasm.

The doctor smiled as he handed Miriam, Helga. One of the nurses asked, "What are you going to name her?"

Miriam looked doped up. I think she was still reeling from whatever drug they gave her. I think they did epidurals. At least that what my mom had when she had me.

They looked at Bob when Miriam listlessly shrugged. Bob grunted and glanced at me, "Whatever the other name it is for Olga. I have to go to work." He left a couple bills on Miriam's bedside, "There's some cash for a cab for you and the girls. I'll be home after eight." He ruffled my hair and hurried out of the room. The doctor glared after his back and huffed as he attended to my clearly drug addled mother.

The nurse that was doing the paper work frowned. I tugged at her scrub pants. She shot me a curious look, "Yes, sweetheart?"

I looked over to the limp hold that Miriam had over Helga. I inwardly resolved to do something, right here and now. I cleared my throat, "Could her name be Helga Geraldine Pataki?" I knew that if her name was anything else, Miriam, and maybe even Helga, would face Bob's verbal lashing.

The nurse looked at my mother and rose her brow. She glanced back down at me and a soft smile blossomed on her face, "Sure, sweetheart. It doesn't look like your mom is going to object any ways."

I nodded. They took Helga away for a little bit, but came back and deposited her back into Miriam's arms. She was bundled up like a little pink burrito. After the paperwork was done and Miriam's vital signs were taken, the hospital staff dispersed out of the room. I was left alone with Miriam and my new little sister. I gently lifted her out of Miriam's limp hold. I was afraid that if she dozed off any more, she might just drop her by accident.

I secured my hold on my new little sister and stared at her downy blonde hair. She had a dark uni brow and I couldn't help but giggle under my breath. I pulled both of us onto a chair and sighed. How was I going to feed you? I looked around the room and found that the kind nurse had left a couple bottles full of baby formula. I don't think she thought that Miriam was going to feed Helga. I sighed. Helga peacefully slept in my arms and I inwardly sighed. She was adorable. I wasn't able to have kids of my own in my original life. I didn't have a husband or boyfriend, and my uterus was titled like squished doughnut. I supposed that this was one way to have the daughter that I had wanted. What a way to get what you wish for though.

I hummed under my breath when Helga blearily opened her eyes at me. She had lovely little blue eyes lined with blonde lashes. I smiled at her and pecked her little button nose. Helga might not have gotten the love she deserved in the show throughout her childhood, but this one would. This one would because she was _my_ Helga. I would make sure of it.

Helga grunted at me and sneezed slightly as we stared at one another. I grinned and gave her another Eskimo kiss. She sighed and I ambled down off the chair and pulled one of the warm bottles of milk towards me. Miriam was snoring away and I knew that she really wouldn't feed Helga now.

It was awkward trying to get to latch onto the nipple of the bottle, but she eventually got the hang of it. She contentedly closed her eyes and suckled on the bottle's nipple hungrily. I swayed from side to side. What have I gotten myself into?

Was I really ready to be a child mom? I glanced back at Miriam and the money that Bob had left her, and I scowled. It looked like I would have to be. These people certainly didn't look like they were up for it. They were stupidly lucky that I was a thirty year old in a ten year old body. Otherwise...I shook off that thought. I'd just have to find out how to make it work. I would have to.


	3. Chapter 3

**Becoming Olga**

 **Summary:** Life is a precarious wheel. Where one person ends, another begins. For Rebecca, her end is just the beginning of Olga's life.

 **AN** : The universe and characters of Hey Arnold belong to the wonderful and talented Craig Bartlett. I do not own them. All I own is this story premise and the changes that I make within my story.

 **The J.A.M. a.k.a. Numbuh I:** I have fixed that hiccup in the last chapter. Thanks for pointing that out.

 _Chapter Three_

We took a cab home and one of the nice nurses had given me a bunch of stuff for baby Helga. She kept shooting dirty looks at Miriam, but she was too zonked out to really notice. With Helga strapped onto my chest and a backpack full of baby stuff on my back I helped Miriam up the steps into our house. She ambled up the stairs and quietly made her way to the kitchen. Before I could ask if she needed any help, I heard glasses clink, and a blender whir.

I shook my head and gently closed the door behind me. Helga sneezed and let out a sigh. She blinked at me from her position on her chest and I cooed at her. I gave her an Eskimo kiss as I walked up the stairs to my room.

I placed the backpack full of baby things onto the ground beside my bed. I'd have to go to school soon and I didn't know if I could trust Miriam or Bob to really take care of Helga. I frowned as I looked around my room for some sort of answer. There was a fat piggy bank on top of the dresser. I bit my lip. Maybe I had enough for a babysitter? At least until I could graduate as soon as I could, in any case.

Little Helga whimpered, and I paused on my way to the piggy bank. I swayed and swayed for a while, and brought out another bottle for her to feast on. She greedily drank it down as I sighed. I was hoping that she wouldn't be too fussy of a baby. So much for that.

I inched my way to the piggy bank and pulled it down off of the dresser. I sat down onto the ground with Helga still strapped onto my chest. She was happily chugging down the formula while I started emptying out the ceramic pig with one hand.

Once I emptied out all the bills and coins, I counted it all. I raised my brow and let out a little whistle. I counted everything again to make sure I wasn't miscounting. The total in the fat ceramic pic equated to $250. I don't know how in the world Olga got that much money, maybe contests, but I wasn't going to waste it. That much now was worth almost $900 back in 2016 when you compared the prices of things here. At least that's what I calculated in my head.

Helga crossed her eyes as she stared at me. I giggled and gently ran a finger along her soft skull. She let out a little sigh and snuggled against me. I pulled all the money back into the piggy bank and stuffed it into the baby backpack that nurse gave me. I looked up at the clock. It was already two pm and my stomach gurgled. I hurried down the stairs and when I went into the kitchen I found that Miriam was passed out on the kitchen table with a vodka spiked smoothie in her hand. I grimaced.

When I went to the fridge I rummaged around and found some ground beef, potatoes, and stale looking veggies. In half an hour I finished up making a meal for myself and Miriam, whenever she decided to wake up. Helga cried now and again, but Miriam slept like the dead. I managed to quiet down Helga by burping and changing her. It was good that I had plenty of experience taking care of my little siblings. Otherwise, I would probably be way in over my head.

I gobbled down my dinner and made my way to the attic. I pulled down the crib and the rest of my baby stuff back into my room with Helga strapped onto my back. It was kind of heavy, but I was apparently a pretty strong 10 year old. She slept through the entire process of me assembling her crib and putting away all my old baby clothes, toys, and gear. They all smelt like baby powder and it all seemed pretty clean. I would have to figure out how to get Helga different clothes. Everything was far too pink in my opinion. I clipped on a little pink bow onto her head and cooed at her sleeping face when I deposited her into her crib. I strapped on the old school looking baby monitor on the edge of her crib and kept the other baby monitor on my person.

I let out a deep sigh when I manged to make it back to my room. I slumped onto my bed and stared at my bumpy ceiling. I heard Helga hiccup in her room and I sighed. I ambled into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water with a bit of sugar. I passed by a still zonked Miriam. She had Irish coffee in her hand this time. I guessed that she got up at some point since her plate of food was gone. The kitchen seemed to be tided up and I rubbed her back lightly when I passed by her again.

When I entered into Helga's room again she was still hiccuping and seemed to be on the cusp of crying. I maneuvered the nipple into her mouth, and got her to suckle on it while I bounced and swayed. I looked at the nearby clock and found that it was already almost eight pm. Bob was going to be home soon. If I wanted to stay out of his way and be invisible, I'd best fall asleep. I glanced down at Helga. She would have to get to sleep too. I glanced at the bundle in my arms and noted that she was drifting off to sleep. I gently placed her back into her crib and backed out of her room as quietly as I could.

I hurried off into my room and buried myself under my covers. I willed myself to sleep and soon darkness invaded my vision. The clock in my room ticked away as I drifted off to sleep.

I woke up to Bob and Miriam yelling as Helga wailed balefully in the background. Did they _not_ hear her? I shook my sleep addled head and squinted at my window. It looked like it was already morning. I checked my clock and found that it was already six in the morning. I hurried over to Helga and picked her up. She whimpered and sniffled, but stopped her wails when I embraced her. Bob and Miriam continued to yell obscenities at each other. I think he was upset at how much she was drinking and she was angry at him for never being at home.

I changed Helga's diaper and changed her clothes. I don't know how I would handle all of this when Monday rolled in, but I guess I would just have to trust Miriam. I strapped her onto my chest and made my way down to the kitchen. I made a large plate of toast, scrambled eggs and bacon before I made Helga a bottle of baby formula.

Bob and Miriam paused in their yelling match. I sat at the kitchen table eating my breakfast and feeding Helga while I listened for any oncoming footsteps. Bob stomped into the kitchen, and spotted where I was sitting with Helga. His face softened when he noticed that there was food on the kitchen table. Miriam stumbled in after he sat down and helped himself to some food.

Miriam glanced at me and shot me a small smile. I nodded and pulled on a half hearted grin. Bob gobbled down his plate of food and sighed happily before he addressed Miriam, "See. This is what is supposed to happen in the morning. Breakfast, not your drinking, woman. You're lucky we have such a perfect little girl. I'll see the three of you later. I'm working till eight pm again."

He ruffled my hair and shot Miriam a dry look before leaving through the front door. Miriam silently finished her meal and proceeded to make herself another Irish coffee.

I frowned and burped Helga. I walked over to her and tugged at her purple dress. She glanced down at me and smiled woodenly, "Yes, sweetheart?"

I bit my lip, "Do you want to hold Helga, mommy?" I wanted to really clean this place before I took a bath in that disgusting bathroom.

Miriam frowned and looked like she was going to decline for a moment. A sad look flashed onto her face when she slowly nodded, "Of course, darling."

It took several hours for me to clean everything in that bathroom. The only real upside to cleaning that filthy place was that I was able to finally have a shower, and I also found the washer and dryer under the mountain of clothes in the bathroom. Helga was a needy sort of baby. She cried, whined, and whimpered whenever I left her with Miriam. I didn't quite understand, but Miriam took it like a trooper. She refused to breast feed Helga, but was quite happy to feed her formula. I think it was probably because there'd be alcohol in her system. I couldn't really Google that here though. Did this world even have any internet yet? I'd have to investigate that later.

I found that Miriam could be trusted to care for Helga while I went to school, if this little test run meant anything. I made some lunch for the two of us and Miriam proceeded to fall into a drunken sleep after she had seen that I no longer needed her to watch Helga. I sighed and went through the baby book that the hospital had supplied. I made a face. Helga was supposed to get vaccinated in a month. Was I supposed to do that? Could a child bring in a baby for that? I doubt that Bob would want to be bothered, and I didn't know if Miriam would be sober enough to do so.

In any case...I would find a way as to how. I couldn't just let my baby sister _not_ get vaccinated. I'd rather not deal with the measles and the chicken pox in the future, thank you very much.

I made a little nest for Helga on my bed with all of my pillows, and pulled out one of my few picture books. I cleared my throat and started reading her the story of the ugly duckling. I shook a rattle at her now and again between reading, and Helga only responded by blinking at me. I smiled and rubbed her little nose with the pad of my forefinger. She'd have to smile at me eventually.

opopopopopopopo

A month quickly passed by and I had managed to convince both Bob and Miriam to let me skip two grades. The school counselor agreed when I had passed their equivalency tests. I just had to convince them to let me take _all_ the other tests, and do whatever projects to _completely_ test out of school. I didn't know how long that would take though.

Helga was growing up quickly and I had managed to find an old school camera in the attic to capture it all. I managed to take a picture of her first smile, I assumed it was a smile, and she was easier to deal with in comparison to when she was a newborn. She slept through the night and was usually easy to handle, as long as I was there.

Whenever I handed her to Miriam, she turned into a fussy needy baby. At least that was what my 'mother' complained about whenever I got home from school. Bob left me alone for the most part since I started doing all the chores. I didn't really know if he knew who did the chores, but it didn't matter much to me as long as he left us relatively alone. He totally ignored Helga, but I figured that was better than him hurting her. I couldn't save Miriam from any verbal lashing though.

During the month that I was here, I noticed that Bob actually left Miriam money taped onto the fridge everyday after he left. I followed her once and found that she was stuffing it all into one of the kitchen drawers. I think it was supposed to be for groceries or something, but I had never seen her do the grocery shopping. I had been doing it with what little money I had. I had already spent $40 for the groceries for the entire month. The prices back in the 80's were really cheap in comparison to the prices back in 2016.

When I had found out that she was just using it to buy the bare basics and oodles of alcohol, I decided to 'volunteer' to do the groceries. I idly wondered if she knew that I was doing the grocery shopping. It didn't matter, I guess.

School, the seventh grade in particular, was pretty boring and it didn't seem like Olga had any friends from before I had 'taken' her place. She did have people who called her a goody two shoes and a teacher's pet though. The only bright spot that I had here was Helga, and I didn't know if that was a good or bad thing.

Every night now and again, I hoped that I would wake up from this place and be back home. Every night that hope grew dimmer and dimmer.


End file.
